What is a Christian?

I sat in a Bible study last night and the question was asked: "What do people think of when they hear the word Christian?" There was quite a list of things, but strangely none of them once mentioned a people that were imitating Christ Jesus with their lives. It makes you wonder, what is a Christian really? Do we know, do we understand, and do we live it?

First of all, I think that most Christians do know what it really means to be a follower of Christ. But, I think they also choose to ignore a lot of things that Christ commands them to do because it is either inconvenient or it is uncomfortable. This is not all Christians, mind you, but it is enough that the world has noticed. Do we ever feel guilty that we are associated not with the loving God of the universe, but are rather associated with a selfish, sometimes snobby community? I have had many times when I though to call myself something other than a "Christian" just to get the stigma off of me, but I have to admit that I am no better than the rest of my brothers and sisters.That's when God hit me... right in the heart.

Christ told us that loving God with our entire being and loving others was the basis for all of God's laws and commandments (Matt 22:37-40). In other words, the very central theme of Christianity is a deeper love for God and an outpouring of love toward our fellow man. Notice here, that personal ambitions are ignored. In fact, Paul includes selfish ambitions as part of the list of things not to do as a Christian (2 Cor 12:20, Gal 5:20). In Philippians 2:3-12, we are told that laying aside ourselves is what it means to follow Christ, who laid aside His majesty as Almighty God and became human flesh. And not just that He became man, but that He suffered and died despite His authority over the universe.

Love is considered the greatest virtue and the most important aspect of the Christian life, to the point of bringing unity (1 Cor 13, Col 3:10-14). It is the only commandment that Christ gives that is specifically pointed out by John in his letter to the churches (John 13:34, 1 John 2:7-11). In Galatians, we are told that the whole law is fulfilled in the statement, "you shall love your neighbor as yourself (Lev 19:18). In fact the entire theme of the Bible is to love each other, and even to love those who are your enemies. By doing so, you fulfill the Law of Christ, making you a follower of Christ.

Two points then, to consider. First, if we are supposed to overflow with love, where does that love come from. 1 John tells us that God is the source of love, and it therefore stands to reason that a deeper relationship with Him will give you that abundance of love. Perhaps I'll do a post on drawing from the source another time. Second, don't expect to just start loving people because you have Christ. It is natural to classify people as acceptable or unacceptable. But, Christians must work beyond their natural tendencies and aim to accept people for who they are. You do not ever have to love or condone the sin that a person commits, but you should always love the sinner. And then, when news such as that of when Osama Bin Laden was killed comes, you can feel the regret in your hearts that he is cursed to an eternity without God. That is what God's love does for you, it makes every life precious, and makes every person important... just because God made them. Think about it.